Is there a better leading man working in Hollywood right now that can match Tom Hardy for his ability to transform and for the sheer screen presence he brings? Only truly breaking through to the mainstream in the last few years, having worked tirelessly since his Band of Brothers debut in 2001, Hardy has of late emerged as one of his generation’s best – if not its very best.
There are few performers of such range of whom it could be said they can play anything, but Hardy is unquestionably one such performer. In his short but illustrious career, the actor has played a Welsh construction worker, a gigantic super-villain, a gentle Brooklyn hoodlum, a thickly-accented Russian secret agent, a post-apocalyptic warrior, and a pretty boy dream thief, with all of those coming in the space of just five years.
As Brian Helgeland’s Krays biopic Legend – starring Hardy in dual roles – approaches cinemas in the US, what better time to celebrate the best of what Tom Hardy has delivered so far?
Here, then are the actor’s 10 best performances to date.